The floors of conventional commercial and residential buildings are commonly framed using a plurality of horizontally extending structural support beams which are supported on multiple load bearing columns or wood studs. The walls are constructed using uniformly spaced metal or wood studs that extend vertically between the floors of the building.
The roof system of a conventional commercial building includes uniformly spaced joists spanning the length between pairs of parallel support beams. A metal deck is placed on top of the uniformly spaced joists. Panels of insulation board are then layered on top of the deck. The exterior covering of the roof can be formed using a polymer sheeting placed on top of both the deck and the insulation board and secured with ballast or an adhesive.
The roof system of a conventional residential building includes uniformly spaced joists spanning the length between pairs of parallel support beams. Plywood may be placed on top of the uniformly spaced joists. Metal or wood trusses are then erected above the joists to form the framing for the roof. Exterior plywood sheathing is applied on top of the trusses and an exterior covering, such as a roofing felt and either asphalt or wood shingles, is then secured to the exterior surface of the sheathing.
The exposed underside of a conventional commercial or residential roof system is generally not a smooth surface, but instead reveals the exposed joists and deck. Additional materials, such as gypsum coreboard or fiberglass ceiling tiles, in conjunction with a metal grid, can be utilized to form the finished ceiling. In either case, an air space will generally remain between the ceiling and the exposed roof structure. Such ceiling and roof systems can have less than desirable insulation properties and thus additional insulation is often installed. Additionally, conventional ceiling and roof systems have limited sound attenuation and fire retardant properties.
The exterior facade of the building, which may include brick, concrete, stone, metal or wood, is formed adjacent to the studs. Conventional batt insulation is placed between the studs and the interior is then covered with gypsum coreboard to form a smooth surface for finishing. The batt insulation in the wall has a tendency to sag, which can also result in decreased insulation properties and limited sound attenuation, in addition to having limited fire retardant properties.
Accordingly, the construction of conventional sidewalls, ceiling walls and roof systems requires a variety of materials, some of which are quite heavy. The installation of these materials can also be complex and require varying degrees of precision. Thus, installation of these materials is often labor intensive, which can result in higher costs being associated with the construction of these types of buildings.
In seeking better materials for constructing the walls of a building, several forms of premanufactured building panels have been suggested. One such example of a building panel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,389 to Mazzone, et al. which discloses an exterior curtain wall panel. The panel has a pair of opposed end caps consisting of channels of light gauge galvanized steel and a foam core of expanded polystyrene with a thickness greater than the width of the channels. The structural strength for the panel is provided by multiple open box type tubes extending vertically along the height of the panel and located within the foam core. However, the panel does not provide fire retardation. In addition, the upper and lower channels are exposed to external conditions and the patent discloses that the channels are thus preferably made from rust resistant galvanized steel, which can be expensive if used in all applications.
Another example of a building panel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,400 to Schmechel which discloses a sidewall assembly for a building. The sidewall assembly includes a plurality of expanded polystyrene panels. Each panel has side and end surfaces which define grooves therein. Each panel has a pair of opposed U-shaped side supports which interface with a corresponding groove extending along one of the longitudinally extending laterally displaced sides of the panel. Adjacent panels are secured together by a pair of opposed U-shaped end supports which interface with corresponding grooves extending along the laterally extending longitudinally displaced ends of the panels and which are secured to the side supports by suitable fasteners. Adjacent panels may also be secured together by joining the abutting side supports with suitable fasteners. However, as with the Mazzone patent, the sidewall assembly disclosed in the Schmechel patent does not provide for fire retardation. In the event of a fire, the expanded polystyrene panels of the sidewall assembly will melt thus removing the internal reinforcement of the U-shaped side and end supports which is necessary to prevent displacement of the supports. In the case of horizontal roof and ceiling panels, which are not disclosed in Schmechel, strength is especially important.
Thus, there is a need for improved building materials for use in the construction of exterior walls, such as sidewalls, ceiling walls and roof systems of buildings. Such materials must be capable of being efficiently installed to reduce labor costs while at the same time providing adequate insulation properties, sound attenuation, fire retardation and structural strength. These materials should also be protected from the weather.